AOL, Endemol Land On Pluto TV

Pluto TV, a startup that launched a curated, linear-style OTT service about a year ago, said it has inked deals to offer syndicated and original content from AOL and Endemol beyond USA.

The deal will give Pluto TV access to originals from AOL and content featuring artists such as Pitbull, Michelle Phan and Andy Milonakis via Endemol, enabling it to expand a lineup that already consists of more than 100 free, ad-supported virtual channels, including QVC, Newsy and genres such as top 40 music, kickboxing, tech news, and soccer.

“Pluto TV’s curation team is always looking for exciting, new content to offer our viewers. Partnering with AOL and Endemol beyond USA, two of the biggest content providers in the world, opens up a new avenue of quality content for Pluto TV viewers to enjoy,” said Pluto TV CEO Tom Ryan, in a statement.

While OTT video has generally shifted to on-demand distribution models, Pluto TV has instead set its sights on a curated linear-style offering.

“A lot of times, people just want to push a button and be entertained,” Ryan said in a recent interview with Multichannel News. “We believe that there’s a gap in the marketplace in the way in which consumers generally like to consume video and media generally.”

Pluto TV won’t provide viewership numbers, but Ryan said usage is growing and the reach of the service extends beyond millennials and consumers who are cutting or shaving the cord.

“We’ve been extremely encouraged that people are treating this more like TV than web video,” he said.

More about Pluto TV and its strategy will be featured in the March 16 issue of Multichannel News.

Pluto TV, which landed a $13 million A round last November, is on Web browsers, iOS and Android mobile devices, the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, and the Nexus Player, the first streaming device to run on the Android TV platform. Pluto TV, which has a dedicated Ultra HD channel, will also be offered on the Nvidea Shield, a 4K gaming console that will also be powered by Android TV.